Dawn of Darkness
by Xitai
Summary: An AU take on the events leading to Anakin's downfall. Full of seedy cantinas, breathtaking castles, romance and plenty of intrigue. This was orginally written in 2002 to 2005 by me as 'PadmeSolo,' but never finished. Now I'm rewriting and finishing.
1. Bloody Dawn

Twilight settled on the hills by the city of Theed. The last traces of sunlight faded into the starry sky. It was perfect, at least it should have been perfect. The light of the sunset had shone scarlet, like the blood being spilled by the Republic's army. Padmé didn't know what had gone wrong, or when. One moment the Republic had been saving lives and the next it was destroying them. But the Republic was far from Padmé's worries

She felt tears well up in her eyes. Anakin, how could he leave her, betray her? A smile fleeted across her face, too worn for her age. He had not left her, not really, but he was never around. Most of his time was spent with the Chancellor. Days ago, Obi-Wan had come to her with his concerns. Anakin was spending too much time away from his training, did she know why? Then, Padmé had been puzzled by his worried expression when she admitted that Anakin was spending time with Palpatine. Now she understood what Obi-Wan could not articulate. Palpatine was a danger to the Republic, not to mention Anakin.

She turned away from the edge of the balcony and returned to her quarters. She wished she could stay; stay in the warm interior of the palace; stay in the city of Theed. In a day, she would return to Courscant, the galactic center. Padmé would confront the falling moral standards of the Republic, and face Anakin. She did not know if she could withstand losing him to the devices of Palpatine. A hand on her shoulder startled her out of her reverie.

"Senator Amidala, you need to rest." Sabé smiled down at her. Padmé offered a wincing smile. Sabé was always here when she returned. She always had been and probably always would be.

"Sabé, will he leave us?" Her eyes pleaded with Sabé for the answer.

"I do not know, but all the same you must sleep. When was the last time you slept the whole night?" she implored. Sabé nodded when she saw Padme's blank look. "That's what I thought. We will worry about our other concerns in the morning. Tonight, however, you are going to get some sleep."

"But Sabé…"

"No arguing tonight," she replied as she led Padmé to the bed. When the senator made no actions to take off her robe and get in, Sabé did it for her.

Sabé turned back when she reached the door. "Say goodnight to the little ones for me," she added, eyeing Padmé full stomach.

Padmé smiled back and closed her eyes as Sabé exited the room with a distinct look of worry etched into her youthful features.

The fingers of dawn broke into the corners of Padmé's room. The sky outside was changing from a soft pink to a brilliant blue. Native species' cries echoed around the palace. She shifted in her bed to stare out the window. What a beautiful day.

Quickly, she dressed and entered the other room where Sabé had already put the morning meal on the table. Padmé sighed. Sabé was far too good to her. She took a seat in one of the giant wooden chairs around the oval table.

"I trust you slept well, milady?" Sabé questioned as she reentered the room with steaming tea.

Padmé nodded reaching for the tea. "Very well. Truthfully, much better than I ever have in the past few months."

"Even without Anakin?" Sabé realized her mistake when Padmé bowed her head and turned away, "Forgive me, Padmé. I forgot."

"No, don't apologize. I need to acknowledge this now. I can't deny what's happening forever," she admitted, lifting her sad gaze to meet Sabé's.

"Forgive me for asking, but what is happening. You haven't told me." Small, but unmistakable marks of worry marred Sabé's expression. "I understand we hardly see each other and that it is formal when we do, but please remember I'm your friend. I've always been and will always be."

Padmé took Sabé's hands in her own. "You have no idea that means to me, Sabé. And I, also, will always be there for you. But I don't really know how I can explain."

"Don't worry how it comes out." Sabé smiled reassuringly. "Just say what's on your mind."

"I'd been noticing for awhile. Anakin wasn't around as much and he was never at the Jedi Temple either. At first, I didn't give it much thought. Then one day Obi-Wan came and talked to me. He asked where Anakin was spending his time. I was surprised he didn't know and tried to remember where Anakin had said he was going. It took awhile, but I finally remembered that he was seeing the Chancellor. Oh, Sabe, Obi-Wan was devastated." Padmé lowered her head. "And now I always feel so alone. He's never around. I haven't even been able to tell him I'm pregnant. It's almost like I'm afraid of what he'll do, that he won't care."

"Oh, Padmé." Sabé got up and moved to embrace Padme. As soon as she felt Sabé's arms around her the tears started flowing try as she might to stop them. Sabé felt helpless. She could do little more than offer comforting murmurs in Padmé's ear.

She knew Padmé had been having a hard time, but it had never occurred to her that Anakin was the root of the problem. From the moment she had met the bright blue eyed boy she had known he was fascinated with Padmé. She remembered her amusement at the expression on his face when he found out that Padmé was really the queen. So much had changed since then, but as far as Sabé had known Anakin had still been utterly in love and probably still fascinated with Padmé Amidala. In her opinion, there was no reason to believe otherwise.

Padme sniffed again and looked up at Sabé. "What time is it?"

"A little before ten. You have plenty of time before your meeting with the queen," she answered with a slight smile.

"Good." Padmé nodded. She didn't want to have to think about politics or the state of the Republic just now. A voice inside of her whispered that she was being selfish, but at the moment Padmé could not bring herself to care. She turned again to glace at her companion. Sabé was staring at her with a perturbed expression. "What?"

"I was thinking of last night." Sabé's voice was heavy with melancholy.

"I was standing on the balcony watching the sun set thinking of the Republic and later of Anakin." This mention caused the lines in Padmé's worried face to increase slightly.

"I don't have any good advice for you. I wish I did, but…"

"Don't concern yourself with my petty problems. I'll talk to Obi-Wan again and ask him about this. In the mean time, Sabé, I need to get dressed in time to meet with the queen," Padmé stated rising from the table and heading towards the doors to her rooms.

Sabé had risen as well. "What about the rest of breakfast? You need to eat more than a few little eggs."

"Food will have to wait. I have a duty to fill," Padmé told Sabé sharply.

"Alright," she sighed. "I'll be in my rooms if you need any help dressing."

Padmé's expression softened. "Thank you, for everything."

Sabe just gave her the ghost of a smile and drifted into the other rooms. Padmé set about to the annoying task of dressing and doing her hair. She was extremely grateful that she was no longer the queen. The dresses had been elegant and even exquisite at times, but they had weighed her down like a pile of bricks. It still fascinated her that some of the dresses had almost weighed as much as she had. Being a senator entailed fancy dresses, but simplistically fancy and definitely not overdone. It took her moments to find a simple deep red dress. It was strapless and had a long scarf to go with it. The cut was modest, showing no more than it needed to. Padmé decided on a simple braid with red ribbons down her back. Her fingers expertly wound the ribbon into her hair.

Minutes later, she was drifting down the corridors of the palace. The queen, a delightful young woman by the name of Vivianala, had been recently elected to the throne of Naboo. She was much older than Amidala herself had been, at age 19. She had a strong sense of ethics and was good for her people. Today, she and the senator of Naboo had a meeting concerning the affairs of the Republic.

Padmé entered the throne room with a sense of nostalgia. She bowed her head and waited until the queen acknowledged her presence.

"Welcome, Senator Amidala. We are pleased that you could come," Vivianala greeted in her strongly accented voice.

"I am pleased to be here, but please my time is short. Shall we get down to business?" Padme explained approaching the throne.

Vivianala nodded. "Of course. I've been hearing various accusations that the Republic is increasing the blood shed of the galaxy, it this true?"

"Sadly, yes. The Chancellor has had much support in utilizing the army created almost a decade ago. The clone troops are efficient, no one can argue with that, but many diplomatic opportunities are being turned down and instead the Republic is immediately sending the clone army," Padmé clarified in a sad tone.

The queen nodded. "Isn't there a way to start a motion in the senate to stop this?"

"The senate no longer functions to the will of the senators. A few years back a bill of such was started. Hours after the senators had proposed it, they were found dead in their homes. I do not believe it would be wise to start a resistance now. Too many innocent lives would be lost." The senator lowered her eyes.

"What about Chancellor Palpatine?" the young woman suggested.

Padmé shook her head. "He is clearly in favor of the army. In fact, over time he has been the first one to suggest its use."

"He used to be the Naboo senator. He couldn't refuse our requests, could he? Have you approached him on this matter?" Vivianala searched.

"I tried a couple of years ago when all this first started to take shape. He understood my concerns, but in the senate he did nothing to acknowledge them. I fear that he has become too hungry for power. Perhaps he has spent too much time in office," she reflected. "Other Chancellors could only stay in office for ten years total, Palpatine has been in office for almost 25 years."

The queen bowed her head. "I understand your concerns. In the meantime let us pray that no further damage is inflicted on the Republic."

"Indeed." Padmé gave a small bow and turned to leave.

"Wait, senator." Padmé raised her eyebrows in question. "Are you alright? You seem a little distant."

Padmé nodded. "I'm fine. I suppose work has been taking its toll on me."

"If you say so," the young woman sighed. Padmé gave her a reassuring smile and swiftly left the throne room.


	2. Not Forgotten

Author's Notes: First, this is a short Chapter, but the break just happens this way. Second, thank you to those that reviewed. I'm glad you enjoy what I'm doing.

Disclaimer: This applies to the whole story. Star Wars is the property Mr. Lucas, but I do claim ownership of all the original characters. And yes, I'm a poor starving college student making absolutely no money off of this.

OIoIO

The golden streamlined craft lifted off of the picturesque Naboo terrain. Padmé sighed as she stared at the fading ball of blue and green. The break from the galactic chaos had been helpful, but she came away with no fewer concerns. Anakin, her husband and soul mate, plagued her thoughts. She hoped with all her heart that he would be at the landing pad when she got to Coruscant. Padmé was not bothered by Anakin's relationship with Palpatine; she trusted Palpatine more than most members of the Republic Senate. Anakin's nightly absence from their shared bed disturbed her far more Obi-Wan's suspicious about the Chancellor. The loving and doting Anakin had disappeared.

No matter what, Padmé knew she would always love him dearly. Her fingers played at the rough edges of her nails. _Did he still love her? If so, would he always love her no matter what?_ She swallowed the lump in her throat and took a deep breath. A month ago the thought would never have crossed her mind. She had only noticed recently that he was distancing himself from her.

She stifled a yawn. She had an important committee meeting to run upon her return, so a short nap would do her good. She willed that she would not dream of unhappy times. She wanted to remember the rose colored past. Padmé wanted to dream of their first meeting on Tatooine and their first kiss on Naboo. That way, even if all was not well when she returned, she would remember the happiness.

OIoIO

Anakin Skywalker watched his friend and mentor explain the workings of the Force. In the beginning, he had been surprised by the Chancellor's knowledge. Palpatine was a politician, not a Jedi. In time, Anakin had learned not to question the source of his knowledge. Many of the things Palpatine knew and taught him, Anakin doubted Obi-Wan even understood, let alone could teach him.

Anakin's teeth gritted at the thought of his Jedi Master. Obi-Wan had assured Anakin that he would face the trials the next month, but Anakin had been fed that line for the past two years. He wanted action. All Obi-Wan ever told him to do was meditate and control his emotions. Anakin respected him, but he was sure his skills surpassed his master's. The idea of telling him that he had been training with Palpatine had crossed his mind more than once. If Obi-Wan knew that Anakin was getting extra training maybe he would realize that he was ready. He had finally decided to obscure the truth, worried that Obi-Wan would be hurt by his lack of confidence in his training.

"Anakin, you must focus," Palpatine chided him in a voice at once gentle and steely.

"Sorry, Chancellor." Anakin bowed his head. "What was your request?"

Palpatine nodded at him. "That's alright. You need to focus your energies better. Dip into your emotions, channel them into your actions. They will give you strength."

"But Master Obi-Wan always says I need to control my feelings and isolate them from my actions," Anakin countered with a frown.

A ghost of a smile appeared on the Chancellor's face as Anakin spoke. "To use your emotions will make you stronger."

Anakin bowed his head. The Chancellor did make sense. When he was angry or frustrated, he was more powerful than when he was calm and in control. But Jedi sought calm, control and balance while the tainted Sith reveled in anger and fear. Anakin forced his hands away from their nervous clutching at his tunic. What harm could trying new methods cause? He met the Chancellor's gaze steadily, ignoring the chills he felt sweep down his spine.

"Shall we try it again?" the older man questioned.

Anakin was inclined to agree, but then he caught sight of his chrono. It was almost seven in the evening. Padmé was arriving home from Naboo and he needed to meet her at the landing platform. He would have to hurry since she landed at seven fifteen and he was in the bowels of the city. "I can't, Chancellor. I have to meet Senator Amidala at the landing platform."

"Send her my well wishes," Palpatine told him. His eyes were cold as he watched the fleeing youth. Once Anakin turned a corner, a sneer crossed his pale lips.

OIoIO

Senator Amidala's ship leapt out of hyperspace minutes from the galactic center. She had repacked the few things she had taken out of her bags. Leaving her luggage, she made her way to the cockpit. Her heart beat fiercely in anticipation of seeing Anakin. She gripped her hands together to prevent their trembling.

"Welcome, Senator Amidala," the female pilot addressed her as she stepped into the cockpit. "We're only minutes away from Courscant."

Padmé gave her a tight smile. "Good."

"We have other good news," the male pilot added. "We're going to be early."

"Early?" Padmé aped before she could think.

"Don't worry, milady," the woman informed her. "The arrival time is only a few minutes before scheduled. We informed all the parties that were meeting you. Everyone should be there when we arrive."

"Thank you." The sudden rush of adrenaline that had washed over her began to dissipate. Anakin would surely be there now. Even if he had forgotten before they would have contacted him and told him. Taking a calming breath, she exited the room to prepare for disembarking.


	3. Sense of Doubt

Author's note: Elemarth – I haven't written prose in about two years, so this is quite an adventure to return. toocissy4yew –Glad you're enjoying it. Thanks for reading. mlhkvh5 –Expect some major changes. I'm trying to condense what I had while keeping the essence the same.

**Sense of Doubt**

Anakin could not remember another time in his life when he had been in such a hurry. Rapid escapes from near death experiences seemed downright relaxed compared to this. His boots pounded the streets in a steady rhythm as he tried to find the fastest way to the surface.

In the days that Padmé had been gone, Anakin had realized how distant he had become. Not spending time with his wife was frighteningly normal. He realized that his extensive training with both Obi-Wan and Chancellor was eating up any of the time he could have spent at home. Changing the situation would be difficult, but Anakin was unwilling to remain aloof from Padmé any longer. He was determined to meet her at the landing pad and apologize profusely.

Nevertheless, he did not regret is training with the Chancellor. Palpatine understood that he was being held back. Anakin was allowed to gain new experience and new skills. He did not dare to think of how pitiful his skills would be without the Chancellor's input. Anakin shook his head. Now was a time for action, not rumination.

Anakin glanced around and saw the nearest turbo lift closing. He sprinted to the lift and just managed to slip through the doors. Three floors up, still some 200 stories below his destination, it stopped. He tried to give the lift a subtle boost with the Force, but the old machinery would have none of it. Anakin and another humanoid managed to pry the door open and the disgruntled passengers filed out onto the dirty streets.

Anakin glanced at the time. It was 7:10. There was no way in Sith that he was going to be able to get to the top of the city in five minutes. He would be late if he waited for the next lift, so he hastily constructed plan B. A used speeder dealership was across from turbo entrance.

"Hey!" he hollered at the dealer. "I'll take your best speeder."

The lowlife studied him. "That depends on how many credits you have."

"Believe me, I have plenty," Anakin assured him. "Now can I see the speeder?"

"Alright," the being replied, believing Anakin for the moment. "Right there."

"What a piece of junk," he muttered as he took in the weathered speeder. It had seen too many drag races and street chases, evidenced by the scratches all along its neon green hull. Anakin glanced at the speedometer and determined that it probably would not go any faster than a crawling Bantha. He sighed. "Fine, I'll take it. How much?"

"One thousand credits," the lowlife stated firmly.

Anakin baulked. The speeder was not worth more than one hundred credits, at most. "Listen buddy, how about 400 credits?"

The being considered the offer. "600?"

"500," Anakin countered, shaking his head. He could not believe he had just offered to pay 500 credits for that piece of junk.

The dirty little thing nodded. "500 credits it is. Now give me the credits."

Anakin handed over the money. After a moment's survey, he started the speeder and rushed into the lanes of traffic rising from the core of the planet. Another glance at his chrono showed that he had wasted five minutes with the dealer.

OoOoO

Padmé wrung her hands as she watched out the windows of the sleek golden ship lowering onto the platform. As the ship set down, she identified Obi-Wan Kenobi and a number of delegates from the senate, but Anakin's fall figure eluded her. She bit her lip hard, refusing to let the urge to cry win. She had to be rational. When was the last time Anakin had come to meet her?

Shoulders sagging in defeat, made her way to exit ramp. Eyeing the crowd gathered below, she took a steadying breath. Now was the time to be the senator, not the scorned wife. When she reached the bottom of the ramp, the delegates swarmed around her. "Senator Amidala, you have no idea what a pleasure it is to have you with us again."

"It's a pleasure to be here," she replied, trying to make her smile look genuine.

One of the Chancellor's cronies approached her. "The chancellor expresses the deepest remorse that he was unable to personally greet you. He would have liked to express his happiness at your safe return in person."

"Tell Chancellor Palpatine that I am grateful for his concerns and that I thank him for the well wishes." Padmé started turning away before she was done talking. A slight frown passed over her face. Anakin must be with Palpatine.

"Senator Amidala." The lightly accented voice immediately identified the speaker.

"Master Kenobi!" Padmé smiled brightly, eyes lighting up.

"It's good to see you back." He smiled back, dimples chasing away worry lines. "I trust your vacation was delightful?"

"Delightful? I can't quite say it was delightful, but I did enjoy myself," she

conceded, laughing.

"That's good." He took her arm and led her away from the crowd. "I'd like to apologize for my Padawan. This morning he assured me that he would be here to meet you."

Padmé's smile faltered. "You shouldn't be apologizing. He's an adult; he can do what he wants. Do you have any idea where he is?"

Obi-Wan shook his head and dryly replied, "I have no idea. But then again, he often fails to inform me of his whereabouts these days."

"I will speak to him later, if I see him," she added bitterly.

"He had almost convinced me this morning that he understood the effect his absence has on you." Obi-Wan eyed her solemnly. "I do not like how he has been acting lately."

She glanced around; no one was paying any attention to them. "I wanted to talk to you about that…"

An expression of relief passed over the Jedi's before he motioned towards the transport at the platform's edge. "Well then, Senator, let's go discuss these matters someplace more private."

OoOoO

Anakin gunned the speeder engine even more. He was already late and landing platform was still a fair distance. Rush hour traffic did not help matters.

The conversation he was going to be forced to have with Padmé troubled him. He needed to apologize for the time he had spent away from her, but he could not figure out how he was going to explain his training with Palpatine. Perhaps he could leave the explanation out and simply apologize.

Excuses flooding his thoughts, he arrived at the landing platform just in time to see a transport leave. Dumping the speeder, he hurried toward the remaining people. His heart sank when he realized Padmé was not among them. He had failed, again. He glanced skyward, wishing the speeder had been just a minute faster.

"Jedi Skywalker!" exclaimed one of the senatorial delegates.

"Has Senator Amidala already departed?" Anakin questioned as he approached.

"The senator just left with Master Kenobi."

Anakin bowed his head. "Do you know where they're going?"

"I don't, but ask around. I'm sure they told someone their destination," the delegate replied before retreating back into the dwindling crowd.

The idea of Padmé leaving with Obi-Wan put a sour taste in his mouth. Anakin could not tell whether he was reacting to Obi-Wan as her companion, or simply his own separation from her. Anakin chose to ignore the feeling for the moment as he noticed the Senator from Alderaan's approach.

"Jedi Skywalker, you're late," the young man chided him. "She was looking for you earlier."

"Oh Sith! She was?" Anakin started. He had not imagined she would expect him after his recent behavior. "What time did the ship arrive?"

"It was early. I would guess it came around ten after seven," Bail Organa answered.

Right when Anakin was getting out of the malfunctioning lift. There had never been any hope of arriving on time. "Why didn't they contact me?"

"They contacted everyone. Could you have been out of range?"

Anakin had to restrain the scowl that threatened to break free. The Chancellor was very insistent that their training occur in the interior of the city, but Anakin could see no reason to cut himself off from important communication such as his wife's return. He would have to suggest a change of location at their next meeting. Senator Organa was still looking at him expectantly. "I might have been. Do you know where she went?"

"They didn't tell anyone. She looked tired, maybe she went home," he suggested.

Anakin tried to smile. "Well, thanks."

He was left with no option but to go home and hope that Padmé followed suit. He pushed the sick feeling in his gut to the back of his mind as he steeled himself to return to their shared apartment.


	4. Heart of Darkness

Author's Note: Elendelyne – Don't worry about me stopping… we're at page 10 of 250 already written pages. Thanks for reading. Those who have read this before –I rewrote and added nearly half of this chapter.

**Heart of Darkness**

Obi-Wan held out his hand to help Padmé down from the transport. It was clear she was worried and he felt the sooner they could have a good talk, the better. He tried to give her a reassuring smile as he keyed in his entrance code.

They entered the Jedi Temple, acknowledging various Jedi. Padmé's greetings were strained and Obi-Wan took the shortest route to the simple quarters he and Anakin had shared. Anakin currently lived with his wife despite the belief that a Padawan should live with his or her Master until becoming a Knight. Anakin was not one to be moved by tradition. His marriage to Padmé had been forced down the council's collective throat. He had requested permission, but Anakin had also made it clear that he would either marry with their blessing or leave the Jedi Order entirely to marry. The Council took the only rational course of action. Anakin was too much of a liability to let go. The Chosen One had to be trained. Obi-Wan had been marginally surprised by Anakin's rash actions until Anakin had confided that they had already married before he asked permission. Anakin's disregard for the Jedi way of life had left Obi-Wan perturbed. Nevertheless, when Master Yoda had asked his opinion, he had admitted that he believed it would be the less dangerous course of action to allow the two to be married. And so it had been done.

Obi-Wan noted the worry lines marring the young senator's face. He had known the union would be difficult for Anakin, but until recently he had not considered Padmé's plight. The more time he spent with her, the more he realized that she was a steadying force in his student's life. Anakin's absence from her side made him worry that Anakin might be losing the precious balance between his calm and volatile natures.

"What's troubling you?" he asked as they entered the simple living room.

Padmé gave a slight snort. "Everything?"

Obi-Wan's gaze caught on the teacups sitting in the kitchen and he allowed a small smile to escape. After all, he did not expect her to share her troubles instantly. "Would you like some tea?"

"Yes, please" Padmé replied, perching hesitantly on the nearby couch. Her eyes darted in erratic circles, refusing to stop at Obi-Wan.

"What happened on Naboo?" the Jedi questioned as he drifted into the attached kitchen to prepare their tea.

Padmé sank fractionally lower in to her seat. "Nothing much. I had a conference with the queen. Strange to think…"

He glanced up at her. She had a sorrowful expression etched on her face as she stared out at the passing traffic. The setting sun caused her hair to glow red around her face.

"That was a long time ago." Her head snapped toward him, teeth gnawing her lower lip. She met his gaze squarely this time, pain swirling outward from her honey eyes. For a moment he thought she was caught in another trace, but she looked away and nodded. He grabbed their tea and moved to sit at the other end of the couch. "I'm sure you're doing the best you can."

"Thank you," she replied, taking her tea. He was not sure she was referring to the tea. Padmé's expression darkened as she stared into the steaming liquid. "When did you see Anakin today?"

"This morning. We actually had training, which is a real achievement these days. His abilities have matured, but he never deigns to come for training anymore." Obi-Wan could not reign in his bitter tone.

"He is ready…" She spoke softly, more to herself than to him.

"He is more than ready for the trials, but I worry that his emotions are going to take over someday," Obi-Wan admitted. "He's so impulsive. That could be dangerous."

Padmé sipped at her tea. "I know. But I love him for it all the same."

The words contained no obvious emotion, but he could sense the worry and pain that encompassed her. "You're troubled because Anakin isn't around anymore."

"You're a mind reader," Padmé exclaimed with a choked laugh.

Obi-Wan shook his head. "Hardly. I'm in the same position you are."

"He's not your husband." Her tone was scornful and her nearly flinched at the harsh intensity.

He inclined his head. "No, but he is a dear friend who I am afraid I may be losing."

"I know." Her shoulders heaved as she took a deep breath. "It's just that sometimes I wish…"

Obi-Wan noticed the glint of excess moisture in her eyes. He reached out to place a hand on her shoulder. "We only have what the present will give us. Let us deal with that."

"Of course."

He waited a moment, and then removed his hand. "Do you trust Anakin with Palpatine?"

Her brows narrowed as she considered the question. "I don't see any reasons to dislike Palpatine personally. He has helped the Republic. But I don't see what he's trying to do by increasing the use of that clone army."

"Palpatine's lust for power is matched only by his lust for blood."

Padmé's face paled. "What!?"

"If order and peace could be gained through genocide, he would do it." Obi-Wan's voice was cruel, twisting the words into harsh syllables.

"He wouldn't" she countered. "He's manipulative and unyielding, but not heartless."

"He's trying to dominate everything and everyone. I respect your optimism, but he is first and foremost the manipulative politician. He would murder rebels live on the Holonet if he thought it would raise his approval ratings."

Padmé opened her mouth to speak before thinking better of it and shaking her head. "The definition of politician does not include a loss of empathy."

The hard look in her eyes warned that she was not interested in discussing Obi-Wan's views on the politics of the Republic anymore. "Of course, I'm more interested in what Anakin is doing with the Chancellor. Palpatine's a politician and I believe Anakin dislikes politics."

Padmé lip twitched as she remembered the lake country of Naboo. She and Anakin had endlessly discussed politics during that distant trip. Conversation had been stilted and politics had seemed to be a safe subject. Anakin's speech on dictatorships surfaced within her memories. His passionate appeal for a benevolent dictator still sent shivers down her spine. A joke or not, his words remained with her. The intensity of Obi-Wan's gaze broke her out of the memory. "True. I'll talk to Anakin about what he's been doing."

"I'll try to bring it up with him, as well. Though I doubt he'll be half as responsive to me as to you," he reflected with a smile.

Padmé smiled faintly back. "We can only hope."

"We'll get Anakin back, I promise," the Jedi Knight added as they rose from the couch, heading toward the door.

"Thank you." Padmé softly acknowledged as she exited Obi-Wan's quarters.

OoOoO

Padmé's shoulders slumped and her feet felt heavy as she left the Jedi Temple. There was nothing that she could do but hope that Anakin was at home. She followed the walkway in front of the Temple for several minutes to a yellow transport stop sign. Hopefully it would arrive without a long wait. She was not in the mood to walk back to the apartment. The rush hour traffic was beginning to fade, so she had a chance to arrive home soon.

As she waited, she studied the sky. It was artificial, entirely generated by the machinery of the planet. Nevertheless the sky still was eerily beautiful, flawless in its coloration. The artificial sun was sinking beyond the metal crested horizon. Brilliant rays of red and orange had begun to fade into royal purples and the velvet black of the night. Padmé sighed as her eyes remained fixed on the fading orb.

A few minutes later the transport arrived and she climbed aboard. Almost instantly, she was taken to their apartment. Padmé walked to the turbo lift and keyed the up button. As soon as she did, another button flashed. The lift was broken. She bit her lip in an effort not to cry out in frustration. She turned away and started climbing the never ending stairs that led to their 56th floor apartment. They had bought it because of the view. Now, and this was not the first time the lift had failed, she decided that the climb was definitely not worth it.


	5. Burning Eyes

Author's Note: mlhkvh5 –It's things like the lifts that don't start out symbolic, but end up that way. Thanks for reading. I'm very aware that some of the "romance" portrayed here is very cliché, but we must all learn to love the cliché.

**Burning Eyes**

Anakin had discovered the malfunctioning lift earlier. Silently cursing all the way up the stairs, he had decided that the turbo lifts of the galaxy had united in an unspoken agreement to destroy him. It was a horrifically unfair situation. If he took a turbo lift, it broke. If he avoided them, he was left climbing hundreds of stairs per day. He ignored the burning in his quads as he finally keyed open the door to the apartment.

Groaning, Anakin collapsed at the desk in the corner of their living room. It was an antique, from days before durasteel and synthetics took over. The grain of the oak was visible under the transparent polish. He lightly traced the path of one grain with a finger. Padmé used it when she worked at home.

His hand jerked to a stop. For a second he glanced around wildly before realizing that she was not in the apartment. He could hear the soft hiss of the ventilation system, nothing more. A defeated sigh escaped his lips as Anakin rested his head in his hands. Maybe if he closed his eyes all his problems would disappear.

Anakin remained slumped over the desk for minutes, maybe hours. The faint hissing of the apartment door opening penetrated his ears, but he did not recognize it.

"You didn't come."

"What?" Anakin's head snapped up to meet blazing brown eyes.

Padmé's eyes narrowed as she repeated herself. "You didn't come."

Anakin blinked once, twice before recalling what she was talking about. "Oh, I know…"

"You know?" Padmé parroted, her voice rising in pitch.

"No! No, not like that," he floundered.

She placed her hands on her hips, lips twitching in ire. "Then like what?"

"Just let me explain," he replied as he threw his hands up in surrender. "For some reason they didn't contact me about the earlier arrival time, or at least they couldn't get through. I did try to get there." Padmé did nothing more than raise her eyebrows. He swallowed compulsively and continued. "Well you see…"

"No, I don't, so start explaining," she snapped.

Anakin flinched, but his voice remained even. "First the turbo lift wouldn't work. I got in and we went three floors up and it stopped. Then I had to find a different way to get up the landing platform because there was no way in Sith I was going to get into another one of those infernal things." He paused for a breath of air. "Anyway, I found this dealer that sold speeders. Oh Sith! I left it on the landing pad! Now I've wasted 500 credits on a piece of junk speeder that I can't even sell for parts."

"Poor you," Padmé replied, oozing sarcasm.

He paused for a second and looked at her. Her eyes contained a cold fury that he rarely had seen directed at himself. Looking away, he kept speaking. "I got to the pad the minute your transport left. I asked around and nobody knew where you had gone, so I came back here."

"Interesting."

"I tried to find you, I promise I did!" Now his voice was rough and desperate.

Padmé tilted her head to the side. "You know what interests me?"

"No." Anakin's brow twisted in confusion.

"The fact that you say maybe they couldn't get through." She paused for effect. "Where would you be that a signal couldn't get through?"

Anakin tried to hide his flinch. He had known it would come to this, so why was he surprised? His non-mechanical hand clenched into a first, nails biting into his palm. He felt a hopeless rage gather within him. Telling Padmé the truth was out of the question, but perhaps he could tell her a half truth. His grip loosened a modicum. "I had some work to do for Palpatine."

Padmé nodded. She had already figured as much. "But you didn't answer the question, Anakin. Where were you?"

"200 floors down," Anakin spit out quickly.

"What? I couldn't hear that."

"200 floors down."

"Ah." Confusion flashed across her face, but she quickly concealed her reaction. "What were you doing for Palpatine? You hate politics."

Anakin thought fast. "We were looking for areas in the lower levels that need humanitarian supplies like food and clothing."

Her features softened. She desperately wanted to believe him. "Is that where you've been all these times?"

Anakin shifted his gaze to the wall behind her. If he looked into her eyes, he would never be able to lie properly. "Yes, but today was the last major day. I'll be around more often. And, Padmé, I'm so sorry for all those times I was gone."

A smile ghosted over Padmé's face before she remembered that she should not let him off so easily. His explanations were paper thin and they both knew it.

Anakin caught the slight smile. "So you forgive me?"

Padmé worried at her lower lip a moment. "Partially."

"Only partially?" he countered, rewarding her with a cocky grin. Her heart involuntarily jumped. That smile. Not that smile.

"You're not playing fair," she protested.

Anakin glanced around. His eyes joined the smile, smoldering, holding her in place. "I'm not?"

Suddenly, she found it very hard to speak. "No," she whispered, nearly choking on the word.

Silently, Anakin stalked toward her. She felt like the mouse finally caught by the haughty cat. The smooth white wall connected with her back, causing her to start. If possible, his grin turned even more predatory. Still holding her eyes with his, Anakin placed his hands on the wall on either side of her head.

Padmé fought to remain immune to the passion and desire she saw building up in his eyes. When all else failed she tried to close her eyes against the sensations, but she could not. She was drowning in the bright blue pools. There was no pulling away as he lowered his head to hers. An instant later, their lips met. Sensations that she had forgotten drowned her body. She had missed Anakin, missed this. All too soon, he pulled away, leaving her gasping for breath. "Am I forgiven?"

Her eyes were glazed over and her breath came in pants against his neck. She resembled a fish for a moment before regaining her power of speech. "Yes," she breathed and then reached up and tangled her fingers in his tousled hair, bringing his mouth back down to hers.

OoOoO

Obi-Wan Kenobi's brow was furrowed as he entered the common area of the Jedi Temple the next morning. He had slept little. Most of the night had been spent thinking of his Padawan's strange behavior. At some indecent hour of the night, he had decided speaking with Master Yoda should he his first action. Obi-Wan could think of many possible reasons for Anakin's absence, but he doubted anything he said of would get through to his delinquent student. He needed to find out what Anakin was doing with the Chancellor.

Master Yoda was sitting in his chair in the viewing room. The circular room was used for meditation, as Yoda was doing now. Obi-Wan entered silently and came to a halt near Yoda's dainty chair.

"A question you have, Obi-Wan?" the green being spoke, turning to face Obi-Wan.

"Yes, Master Yoda."

"Then ask you will."

"It's Anakin. He's been spending a lot of time away from his wife and his home…" Obi-Wan began to explain.

Yoda frowned and his ears lowered. "Knew this marriage was bad I did."

"If you don't mind my saying, Master Yoda, I don't think the marriage has anything to do with this. Anakin is spending too much time away from his training as well. He's improving, but not from training at the Temple. He's not putting in enough time and effort here to be as good as he has been in our brief encounters," the Jedi Knight clarified.

"Disturbing that is. Questioned Anakin you have?"

"Not yet. I asked Padmé, Senator Amidala, about where he had been. Where he's been worries me more," Obi-Wan admitted to the green being. "He's spending all his time away from his training and his home with the Chancellor."

"Odd that is. I thought not interested in politics young Skywalker was. With the Chancellor what business could Anakin have?" Yoda's ears twitched.

"I don't know. That's what perturbs me the most. He's not interested in Politics or anything else that Palpatine does." He shook his head. "It just doesn't make sense."

"True that is," Yoda conceded. "Talk to Skywalker today you will. Uncover this anomaly we will. May the force be with you."

Obi-Wan bowed and returned the sentiment as he exited. He had to ascertain the best way to approach Anakin. The young man was volatile and a wrong approach could lead to disaster.


End file.
